[Anchor]
This afternoon (July 30), a revision to the Criminal Procedure Act aimed at completely stripping prosecutors of their investigative powers was submitted to the plenary session of the National Assembly under the leadership of the Democratic Party. The People Power Party has entered a filibuster to legally obstruct the proceedings. However, given that the pan-ruling coalition holds an absolute majority of seats, the bill is expected to pass the National Assembly as early as tomorrow. Let's go live to the National Assembly.
Reporter Son Hyeong-an, are the ruling and opposition parties still locked in a standoff?
[Reporter]
The revision to the Criminal Procedure Act, which the Democratic Party describes as the "final period on prosecutorial reform," was submitted to the plenary session of the National Assembly this afternoon led by the pan-ruling bloc.
Under the revised Criminal Procedure Act, the current Article 196, which stipulates prosecutors' direct investigative powers, has been entirely deleted, and prosecutors' supplementary investigation powers have been abolished, leaving only the authority to request supplementary investigations.
This is the first comprehensive overhaul of the criminal justice system on this scale in 72 years, and the Democratic Party evaluates it as putting on new clothes for the promotion of public rights and the protection of human rights.
[Kim Seung-won / Democratic Party Lawmaker: This is content aimed at strengthening the protection of the public's human rights and further expanding the procedural rights of crime victims.]
On the other hand, the People Power Party held a condemnation rally prior to the plenary session, raising voices that if prosecutors had lacked supplementary investigation powers, the truth of the "Jang Yoon-ki incident" would not have been uncovered, and urging President Lee Jae-myung to exercise his veto power.
[Anchor]
Is the filibuster still ongoing right now?
[Reporter]
Yes, that's correct.
The filibuster began immediately after the bill was tabled, and Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Seung-won is currently delivering a speech in favor of the bill.
The first speaker earlier was lawmaker Joo Ho-young, a six-term lawmaker and the most senior member of the People Power Party.
Lawmaker Joo expressed opposition, stating that the complete stripping of prosecutors' powers would intensify the suffering of crime victims.
[Joo Ho-young / People Power Party Lawmaker: Ordinary citizens who are defrauded, vulnerable people who are assaulted, abused children, and youths who have lost their jeonse deposits will bear the brunt of the damage.]
Since the pan-ruling bloc can forcibly end the filibuster 24 hours after it begins, the revision to the Criminal Procedure Act is projected to clear the National Assembly threshold led by the pan-ruling bloc at around 4:00 PM tomorrow.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
(Video Reported by Lee Seung-hwan and Shin Dong-hwan | Video Edited by Park Sun-su | On-site Operation by Seo Jin-ho)
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